Heel reenforcement and support



Oct. 27 1925.

L. R. LARSON HEEL REENFORCEMENT AND SUPPORT Filed Dec.

' zijn Patented. 0.127, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEEL REENFORCEMENT AND SUPPORT.

Application led December 3, 1923.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that Lans R. LARsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Braddock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, has invented new and useful Improvements in Heel Reenforcements and Supports, of which the following is a specication.

It is well known that high heels on ladies shoes very often loosen and become detached, resulting in causing an injury to the wearer by turning the ankle or wrenching the arch or instep.

It is, therefore, the purpose of the present invention to provide a reenfo-rcement and support for high heels which will prevent loosening and detachment of the heel and at the same time will not inconvenience the wearer in the least.

Another purpose is to provide a reenforcement, such as an elongated bolt, passing through the heel and its head engaging with a heel-shaped presse-d steel plate mounted in the shoe and a nut or other holding means at the base of the heel to retain the bolt in place and prevent its upward movement, there being a lift of any suitable material to overlie the nut and protect the same.

Bolts or other reenforcing and strengthening means have heretofore been used but in the majority of these constructions the head of the bolt is more or less fiat and, therefore, does not insure strength. The heads heretofore used are flat in order to avoid any obstructio-n or bulge to the heel of the wearer. The present 4design o-f reenforcement and support includes a relatively thick head in conjunction with a countersink in the pressed steel plate to receive the head, the bulge caused to be formed by the countersink being countersunk in the upper face of the heel. These features are very essential in order to insure strength and, since .the heel plate of pressed steel has lateral flanges at the sides, the plate is prevented from turning and, since the head of the strengthening bolt is of angular form, the bolt is prevented from turning.

It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no way limitative and that, while still keeping within the scope of the invention, any desired modifications of detail and desired proportions may be made in the apparatus according to the circumstances.

Serial No. 678,239.

The invention comprises further features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a sectional view through a ladys shoe, showing a high heel applied and illustrating the improved reenforcing and ltrengthening means as passing through the eel.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1 at right angles thereto.

Referring to the drawings, l. designates a shoe which may be of any suitable style, size and construction, preferably resembling a ladys shoe, and 2 denotes the heel which may be of any suitable height, either constructed of lifts or of wood, preferably the latter, and passing through the heel is an elongated bolt 3 provided with a head 4. The head is rectangular in contour and seats in a countersink or depression 5 of corresponding contour, so as to prevent the turning of the head and the shank of the bolt.

The depression or countersink 5 is constructed in a relatively thin heel-shaped plate 6, preferably of pressed steel. This plate conforms to the shape of the cross sectional area of the heel of the shoe proper and the sides and forward and rear edges have downturned spurs 7 which embed or engage in the bottom of the heel o-f the shoe proper., acting to prevent the plate from turning.

By anchoring the plate in this manner to prevent turning thereof, the bolt 3 is held against turning. The bolt passes through the heel and it will be noted that the shank of the bolt near the head thereof is bent angularly so that the shank may not only pass 'approximately centrally through the heel but that portion 8 of the shank which eX- tends at an angle to the body of the shank may extend perpendicularly to the head.

The lower end of the bolt is threaded and engaging the threaded end is a nutl or other retaining member 9 which binds against the lower surface 10 of the heel 2 proper. Secured to the lowert surface 10 of the heel proper is a lift l1 to b'e constructed of any suitable material, preferably leather, through which screws l2 pass and into the heel to hold the li-ft in position. In addition to employing screws to retain the lift in place, the lift is cemented to the surface 10 of the heel.

It Willl be noted that the screws are oountersunk, as at 13, in the lift, and oe1nented on the lower face of the lift is a 'facing 14 of leather or other suitable material toprovide a nish for the heel. The lift 11 is provided with a oountersink or depression 15 which receives the nut 9 and since this depression or countersnk conforms to the Cross sectional contour of the nut 9, the nut is prevented from unscrewing.

The heel 2 may also be cemented to the under surface of the bottom of the heel p0rtion of the shoe and the upper surface of the heel 2 has a eountersink 16 for the reception of that portion of the bottom of the heel portion of the shoe which is forced down due to the protrusion caused to be formed by the Countersink 5 in the plate.

The invention havingl been set forth, what is claimed is: i

In Combination with a shoe embodying :t high heel, a, plate carried Within the shoe at the heel portion thereof and conforming in shape thereto, said plate having means for engaging the shoe und heel to preclude relative turning movement of the three, and a, bolt passingl through the plate and heel, the7 plate having a depressed portion engaging a. depression in the unner face of the heel and the bolt having :L head seated in e recess formed by said depressed portion of the plate.

In testimony whereof he a'lixes his signature.

LAR-S R. LARSON. 

